EP0381517B1 - Radiation detector - Google Patents

Radiation detector Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0381517B1
EP0381517B1 EP90301112A EP90301112A EP0381517B1 EP 0381517 B1 EP0381517 B1 EP 0381517B1 EP 90301112 A EP90301112 A EP 90301112A EP 90301112 A EP90301112 A EP 90301112A EP 0381517 B1 EP0381517 B1 EP 0381517B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
layers
charge
radiation detection
detection apparatus
diodic
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP90301112A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0381517A2 (en
EP0381517A3 (en
Inventor
Barbara Lynn Jones
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
De Beers Industrial Diamond Division Pty Ltd
Original Assignee
De Beers Industrial Diamond Division Pty Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by De Beers Industrial Diamond Division Pty Ltd filed Critical De Beers Industrial Diamond Division Pty Ltd
Publication of EP0381517A2 publication Critical patent/EP0381517A2/en
Publication of EP0381517A3 publication Critical patent/EP0381517A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0381517B1 publication Critical patent/EP0381517B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01T—MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION
    • G01T1/00—Measuring X-radiation, gamma radiation, corpuscular radiation, or cosmic radiation
    • G01T1/16—Measuring radiation intensity
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01T—MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION
    • G01T1/00—Measuring X-radiation, gamma radiation, corpuscular radiation, or cosmic radiation
    • G01T1/16—Measuring radiation intensity
    • G01T1/26—Measuring radiation intensity with resistance detectors
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01T—MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION
    • G01T1/00—Measuring X-radiation, gamma radiation, corpuscular radiation, or cosmic radiation
    • G01T1/16—Measuring radiation intensity
    • G01T1/24—Measuring radiation intensity with semiconductor detectors
    • G01T1/246—Measuring radiation intensity with semiconductor detectors utilizing latent read-out, e.g. charge stored and read-out later

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a radiation detector which is sensitive to nuclear radiation.
  • a radiation detector which is sensitive to nuclear radiation.
  • Such a detector having several electrode layers, a photoconducting layer and an electroluminescent layer, is known from EP-A-0 029 379.
  • the combination of photoconducting and electroluminescent layers produces light in response to impinging X- or Gamma-radiation which is then captured by a photosensitive element.
  • a composite radiation detection and indicating device comprises first, third and fifth layers of a transparent conductive material, a second layer of transparent semiconductive material between the first and third layers, and a fourth layer of liquid crystal material between the third and fifth layers, the layers being sandwiched together so that a diodic structure having a radiation-dependent charge storage characteristic is defined by the first, second and third layers, and a liquid crystal display element is defined by the third, fourth and fifth layers.
  • the transparent semiconductive material preferably comprises diamond.
  • the transparent conductive material may be, for example, tin oxide.
  • radiation detection apparatus comprises a composite radiation detection element of the invention, bias means for applying a predetermined charge to the diodic structure of the composite device, monitoring means for monitoring the decay of the stored charge, and means for applying a voltage to the liquid crystal display element to cause it to change state when the charge stored by the diodic structure decays below a predetermined limit.
  • the bias means may be adapted to charge the diodic structure repetitively at a predetermined rate, the monitoring means being adapted to be reset at the same rate, so that the monitoring means effectively measures the rate of decay of the charge stored by the diodic structure.
  • the monitoring means preferably comprises a MOSFET transistor having a very high input impedance, so that the charge storage characteristics of the diode are not substantially affected thereby in use.
  • the composite radiation detection and indicating device illustrated in Figure 1 comprises three layers 10, 12 and 14 of tin oxide (SnO2). Sandwiched between the layers 10 and 12 is a diamond layer 16, and sandwiched between the layers 12 and 14 is a layer 18 of liquid crystal material.
  • the layers 10, 16 and 12 together define a back-to-back diodic structure 20, while the layers 12, 18 and 14 together define a liquid crystal display element 22.
  • Outer protective layers 26 and 28 of transparent glass protect and support the diode/display structure, making it sufficiently rigid to be self-supporting.
  • the choice of diamond for the layer 16 is determined by the fact that a substantially transparent semiconductive layer is readily provided using diamond. However, other transparent semiconductive materials could be used instead.
  • the radiation detection element has a width of 5mm, with a diamond layer 16 of approximately 10 ⁇ m thickness, while the liquid crystal layer 18 has a typical thickness of 7 ⁇ m.
  • the diodic structure 20 has an effective capacitance which is determined by the characteristics of a depletion layer at the diode junction. If the diodic structure is biased electrically and then left open circuit, a charge is stored by this capacitance. The stored charge decays very slowly in the absence of nuclear radiation or a current leakage path. However, when radiation is incident on the diode junction, electron/hole pairs are generated at a rate which is proportional to the intensity of the incident radiation, and the stored charge is dissipated at a corresponding rate.
  • the circuit illustrated schematically in Figure 2 shows the diodic structure 20 and the liquid crystal element 22 as independent circuit elements. This is made possible because the common "terminal" of the two devices, formed by the tin oxide layer 12, is effectively at earth or ground potential in both devices.
  • the illustrated circuit includes a pair of MOSFET transistors T1 and T2. It is particularly important that the transistor T2 should have a high input impedance.
  • the source of the transistor T1 is held at a constant negative voltage V1, so that when the transistor is on, the diodic structure 20 is reverse biased.
  • a square waveform V2 is applied to the gate of the transistor T1 by a variable oscillator circuit 24, which generates a square waveform at a selected frequency and having a desired duty cycle. This effectively switches the transistor T1 on and off at a predetermined rate, repetitively applying a predetermined charge to the diodic structure 20 via the layer 10.
  • the transistor T2 acts as a monitoring or sampling device for monitoring the level of charge on the diodic structure 20.
  • the high input impedance of this transistor ensures that it does not bleed off a significant amount of charge from the diodic structure.
  • the source of the transistor T2 is held at constant voltage V3 which is greater than 2V.
  • the drain of the transistor T2 is connected via a capacitor C to the layer 14 of the liquid crystal display element 22.
  • the diodic structure 20 When the diodic structure 20 is subjected to nuclear radiation, its stored charge is dissipated at a rate proportional to the intensity of the incident radiation. As the level of charge reduces, the transistor T2 begins to turn on, allowing the capacitor C to charge towards the voltage V3. As the voltage on the capacitor approaches 2V, the liquid crystal display element 22 will turn on (that is, darken) indicating that a predetermined radiation intensity is being detected.
  • the oscillator circuit 24 will reset the liquid crystal display and re-charge the diodic structure at the oscillator frequency f1. This means that if the intensity of the incident nuclear radiation is below a level determined by, inter alia, the oscillator frequency f1, the diodic structure will be recharged before it discharges sufficiently to activate the display. Effectively, therefore, the rate of decay of the charge stored by the diodic structure is measured. It is also possible to provide a latching circuit which will keep the liquid crystal display turned on for a desired length of time after a predetermined radiation level has been detected.
  • the described radiation detection indicating element can be manufactured as a single device due to the fact that the diamond layer 16 is transparent and does not obscure the liquid crystal layer 18.
  • the device can be incorporated in a credit-card sized personal radiation detector, for example.
  • the associated electronic components can be placed or formed directly on the substrate of the card, for example, by thin-film technology.
  • discrete electronic components can be used.
  • Another application of the device is in a "wrist-watch" type of radiation detector, in which the device of the invention is incorporated in a small housing with a strap attached thereto.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Molecular Biology (AREA)
  • Spectroscopy & Molecular Physics (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Radiation (AREA)
  • Light Receiving Elements (AREA)
  • Photo Coupler, Interrupter, Optical-To-Optical Conversion Devices (AREA)
EP90301112A 1989-02-03 1990-02-02 Radiation detector Expired - Lifetime EP0381517B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8902443 1989-02-03
GB898902443A GB8902443D0 (en) 1989-02-03 1989-02-03 Radiation detector

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0381517A2 EP0381517A2 (en) 1990-08-08
EP0381517A3 EP0381517A3 (en) 1992-01-02
EP0381517B1 true EP0381517B1 (en) 1994-01-26

Family

ID=10651087

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP90301112A Expired - Lifetime EP0381517B1 (en) 1989-02-03 1990-02-02 Radiation detector

Country Status (9)

Country Link
US (1) US5055686A (ko)
EP (1) EP0381517B1 (ko)
JP (1) JPH07120813B2 (ko)
KR (1) KR900013319A (ko)
AU (1) AU619949B2 (ko)
CA (1) CA2009178C (ko)
DE (1) DE69006224T2 (ko)
GB (1) GB8902443D0 (ko)
ZA (1) ZA90800B (ko)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB9018138D0 (en) * 1990-08-17 1990-10-03 De Beers Ind Diamond Diamond alpha particle detector
ZA946002B (en) * 1993-08-12 1995-03-14 De Beers Ind Diamond Detecting ionising radiation
US5404014A (en) * 1994-02-28 1995-04-04 The University Of Chicago Integral window/photon beam position monitor and beam flux detectors for x-ray beams
GB9812341D0 (en) * 1998-06-08 1998-08-05 De Beers Ind Diamond Detector for ionising radiation
US6806457B2 (en) * 2001-09-28 2004-10-19 Tai-Her Yang Transistor photoelectric conversion drive circuit

Family Cites Families (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1601100A (ko) * 1967-03-29 1970-08-10
JPS5749912B2 (ko) * 1973-10-29 1982-10-25
IL54544A0 (en) * 1977-05-02 1978-07-31 Hughes Aircraft Co Liquid crystal light valve
DE2946108C2 (de) * 1979-11-15 1985-02-14 Koch & Sterzel Gmbh & Co, 4300 Essen Strahlendetektor
NL8006321A (nl) * 1980-11-19 1982-06-16 Eduard Anton Burgemeister Werkwijze en inrichting voor het detecteren van ioniserende straling.
FR2512239A1 (fr) * 1981-08-25 1983-03-04 Thomson Csf Dispositif de visualisation a commande electrique
US4929569A (en) * 1984-01-23 1990-05-29 Ovonic Imaging Systems, Inc. Method of fabricating amorphous silican diode addressed liquid crystal display
FR2579809B1 (fr) * 1985-04-02 1987-05-15 Thomson Csf Procede de realisation de matrices decommande a diodes pour ecran plat de visualisation electro-optique et ecran plat realise par ce procede
JPH0617957B2 (ja) * 1985-05-15 1994-03-09 セイコー電子工業株式会社 液晶表示装置
DE3602796A1 (de) * 1986-01-30 1987-08-06 Messerschmitt Boelkow Blohm Sensorelement mit einem gedaechtnis fuer anormale aenderungen der einfallenden lichtintensitaet
IL81537A (en) * 1986-02-24 1991-05-12 De Beers Ind Diamond Method and synthetic diamond detector for detection of nuclear radiation
EP0239808B1 (en) * 1986-03-03 1991-02-27 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Radiation detecting device
ZA874362B (en) * 1986-06-20 1988-02-24 De Beers Ind Diamond Forming contacts on diamonds
JP2816549B2 (ja) * 1986-10-22 1998-10-27 セイコーインスツルメンツ株式会社 電気光学装置
US4804854A (en) * 1987-02-16 1989-02-14 Shimadzu Corporation Low-noise arrayed sensor radiation image detecting system wherein each sensor connects to a buffer circuit

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0381517A2 (en) 1990-08-08
US5055686A (en) 1991-10-08
EP0381517A3 (en) 1992-01-02
GB8902443D0 (en) 1989-03-22
ZA90800B (en) 1990-11-28
CA2009178C (en) 1999-03-09
DE69006224T2 (de) 1994-05-05
AU4902790A (en) 1990-08-09
KR900013319A (ko) 1990-09-05
JPH02291178A (ja) 1990-11-30
DE69006224D1 (de) 1994-03-10
JPH07120813B2 (ja) 1995-12-20
AU619949B2 (en) 1992-02-06
CA2009178A1 (en) 1990-08-03

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